euryale LP (terraformer & kokomo)

Description

one-sided 12″ with a screenprinted B-side, limited to 300 pieces!
cover sleeve may have a small dong or imperfection

Euryale is the musical side project of members of Kokomo and Terraformer, and their self-titled EP is as huge as you’d expect considering the reputation of both bands. It’s an expansive and towering selection of instrumental tracks, each of which soars despite bleaker tones. Any post-rock record instantly points me in the direction of This Will Destroy You, and Self-Titled is similar in scope but it’s a much darker beast, crashing and swelling throughout, rising up and hanging onto that high with sharpened claws. Opener Generation Noir is almost as black as its namesake, building from faded ambience and pounding drums, adding layers as it goes, making for a dense, writhing soundscape when it all peaks. Powerful guitars sit well, as does the climbing and atmospheric electronics which bring in shades of light, and the song drops off significantly just past the mid-point to choppy guitars and drums, chugging towards and emphatic finish. The following two tracks Metamorphosis and The Great Okapi offer much of the same, with the former transforming like its title suggests, beginning as an instrumental juggernaut and relenting slightly before scaling, monumental sections and ending with two minutes of mellowing downtime. This almost soothing approach continues into the closer, which again rises to a majestic peak, ending things on a euphoric yet crushing high. Self-Titled sounds absolutely huge and you’ll perhaps struggle to find a heavy instrumental release this year offering as much as this one does, despite it coming in at just under nineteen minutes at three tracks deep. This is a seriously impressive release from a group of musicians who know exactly what they’re doing, and the result is an EP which easily matches both of their main projects, possibly even surpassing them. (…)
FFO: Isis, Russian Cirlces, epic soundscapes that make you appreciate music